Having been forced to give It’s A Dundeel an unconventional Cox Plate preparation, Murray Baker is hoping an exhibition gallop at Caulfield on Wednesday has brought the horse closer to peak fitness. It’s A Dundeel worked solo between races to keep him ticking over after a foot abscess ruled him… Read More »
Tips And Beers might have to develop a taste for champagne after his Caulfield victory on Wednesday which has pointed him in the direction of the $1.5 million Victoria Derby. A small field of eight contested the McCain’s Foods Handicap (1600m) with apprentice Chad Schofield content to let Tips And… Read More »
Queensland star Solzhenitsyn confirmed his rating as one the best milers in the country at Caulfield on Saturday as he became the fifth horse in 133 years to claim successive Group One Toorak Handicaps. The Robert Heathcote-trained seven-year-old, the $6 favourite, was aided by a “gem of a ride” from… Read More »
Long John has completed a memorable day for trainer Peter Snowden and the Darley racing operation with his win in the $1 million Caulfield Guineas. Snowden and Darley also claimed the Group Spring Champion Stakes with Complacent at Randwick. Long John started favourite to win the Guineas and after a… Read More »
She has four Group One races among her 10 victories and she’s probably among the top few horses in Australia. Her trainer Mark Kavanagh has only one wish remaining for Atlantic Jewel – he wants her to prove she’s a champion by winning the Cox Plate. And along with the… Read More »
Darley colt Complacent has capitalised on a box-seat run to claim the Group One Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick on Saturday. Sitting behind the pace from his rails draw, Complacent was taken to the front at the 350m by jockey Christian Reith and scored a clear-cut win from Criterion and… Read More »
Atlantic Jewel confirmed her favouritism for the Cox Plate with a hollow win in the Caulfield Stakes on Saturday. Returning to the races after first defeat in last month’s Underwood Stakes, Atlantic Jewel thrashed her four rivals in the 2000m weight-for-age event at Caulfield. Atlantic Jewel settled fourth and spotted… Read More »
Juveniles Unencumbered and Giuliani were given a rough and tumble initiation into racing after a duel that tipped over into the stewards room at Randwick on Saturday. Both making their debut in the Sharp Plate (1000m), the colts got in each other’s way in the straight with Unencumbered holding Giuliani… Read More »
Damien Oliver showed that loyalty still has a place in racing and reaped a tidy reward as a result when Lion Of Belfort scored a courageous win in the Blue Sapphire at Caulfield on Saturday. Oliver had the choice of riding either last-start winner Iconic or Lion Of Belfort in… Read More »
Brisbane filly Missy Longstocking enhanced an already imposing record with a dominant win in the Group Three Thoroughbred Club Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday. Miss Longstocking, who started the $4.20 favourite, was having her first Melbourne start but she looked right at home as jockey Damian Browne drove her to… Read More »
A debut win from two-year-old Moonlight Hussler, described by David Hayes as a pleasant surprise, has convinced the trainer to press on to the Maribyrnong Plate. Moonlight Hussler ($17) came from back in the field in Saturday’s Listed Debutant Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield, making his move around the home turn… Read More »
Clarry Conners is racing the clock to get Dear Demi to peak fitness for Saturday week’s Caulfield Cup. The mare didn’t get the conditioning she needed when she was held up behind horses in last weekend’s Turnbull Stakes, much to the frustration of her trainer. The race was meant to… Read More »
Weights played against Mark Zahra securing a Group One ride on Saturday but the jockey hopes to at least come away from the meeting with a win on sprinter Shamal Wind. Zahra has been the regular rider of Luckygray this campaign but he wasn’t able to make the original 54.5kg… Read More »
Opinions are sharply divided on the prospects of Caulfield Guineas favourite Long John after he drew the inside gate in Saturday’s Group One classic. In one of the most even Guineas’ fields in years, Long John is as long as $4.40 in one market and more than half-a-point shorter in… Read More »
Import Seville delivered some overdue joy to jockey Hugh Bowman and owner Lloyd Williams with a Group One win in the Metropolitan at Randwick on Saturday. Bowman was beaten a nose on Streama in the Epsom Handicap while Williams lost a Flemington Listed race in the stewards’ room when Sea… Read More »
Highly rated import Sea Moon has been denied his first Australian victory in the Listed Bart Cummings at Flemington after a protest from Araldo’s jockey Glen Boss. Sea Moon had a nose margin over Araldo in a three-way finish to the 2520m contest on Saturday but Boss lodged an objection,… Read More »
South Australian galloper Happy Trails has upset a host of Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup hopefuls in the Group Turnbull Stakes at Flemington. “He’s always been underrated and he’s never run a bad race,” trainer Paul Beshara said. In a solidly run 2000m, Happy Trails settled well back on the… Read More »
The Chris Waller-trained Boban made a stunning graduation to Group One racing with a fast-finishing Epsom Handicap win at Randwick on Saturday. Boban entered the straight with only two runners behind him after he found interference at the 600m. And in spite of jockey Glyn Schofield’s optimism, the four-year-old’s chances… Read More »
A bungled start followed by a flawless finish to win the Dulcify Quality has primed Rock Hero for a return to Randwick in seven days for a tilt at a Group One victory. And for trainer David Payne it can’t come soon enough. “He is a very special colt but… Read More »
The confidence of Jim Cassidy and the training brilliance of Chris Waller combined to confirm the outstanding colt Zoustar as Sydney’s best sprinter of his age at Randwick on Saturday. And the next time he’s seen, Waller and Cassidy expect him to prove himself Australia’s best. Zoustar defied a couple… Read More »
